Sponge sheath for douche tip



May 19, 1970 s. B. FIELDING 3,512,525

- SPONGE SHEATH FOR DOUCHE TIP Filed Nov. 24. 1967 (Am-b loo.

$04 B452 FELDING7 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,512,526 SPONGE SHEATH FOR DOUCHE TIP Sol B. Fielding, 11931) Kearsarge St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90049 Filed Nov. 24, 1967, Ser. N 0. 685,628 Int. Cl. A611! 19/00; A6lm 3/00, 7/02 US. Cl. 128239 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheath of soft porous sponge material to be received about a douche nozzle for protecting the nozzle against contact with the vaginal tissues and permitting a user to clean or apply medication to those tissues with a rubbing action of the soft sheath, while fluid may flow through the sheath to the areas being treated. A tubular element is either permanently or detachably connected to and projects beyond the open end of the sheath, to provide a handle area by which the sheath may be manipulated, and to limit the extent to which the assembly may be slipped onto the douche nozzle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to sheaths to be applied to and be received about the fluid discharge nozzle of a douche device.

Conventional douche nozzles are elongated tubular elements into which water or another douche liquid is fed, and having discharge apertures at an end of the nozzle through which the liquid is discharged laterally into the vaginal cavity. Such nozzles, in order to be properly manipulatable and to effectively serve their desired purpose, are usually made of a substance which is relatively stiif and hard, for example an appropriate essentially rigid resinous plastic material. However, this material has the disadvantage that it can, if not handled very carefully, cause damage to or irritation of the vaginal tissues. Additionally, this possibility of damaging the tissues prevents the nozzle from being utilized for actual rubbing or wiping of the surfaces, and therefore limits use of the nozzle strictly to merely a water injecting function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, I provide for use with a conventional douche nozzle of the above discussed type a sheath which may be received about the nozzle at the time of use, and which is capable of passing fluids from the nozzle outwardly through the sheath to the tissues being treated, but which is softer than the material of the nozzle itself, and therefore will protect the vaginal tissues against direct contact with the nozzles. Preferably, the sheath is formed of a sponge material, having open pores through which the injected fluid may pass, and with the material being so selected that it will have the desired softness, at least when in the wet condition. More specifically, the sheath may be of a regenerated cellulose sponge material such as is utilized in conventional household sponges and for numerous other purposes.

The sheath should desirably be longated, and in particular should for best results have a nozzle receiving passage which, for an extended length, does not increase substantially in transverse dimension or diameter as it advances toward the open end of the sheath, to thereby be received closely about the generally uniform diameter nozzle through that extended length.

At its open end, the body of the sheath may carry or be connected to a tubular element which is desirably somewhat stiffer and more rigid than the soft material of the sheath body, and which projects beyond the end of that soft material, for gripping of the device through the tubular element. This tubular element may also contact a shoulder on the douche nozzle to limit the extent to which the entire assembly may he slipped onto the nozzle, and thereby prevent damage to the soft portion of the sheath. Certain additional features of the invention relate to various preferred methods for securing the tubular element to the remainder of the sheath.

BRIEF DESRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other features and objects of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a primarily axial sectional view of a douche nozzle and surrounding sheath device constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a variational form of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows the FIG. 3 arrangement in separated form; and

FIG. 5 shows still another form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, I have illustrated at 10 a conventional douche nozzle, connected to a flexlble hose 11 leading from a suitable source of water or douche fluid, such as a gravity bag v12 to be mounted at an elevated location higher than the nozzle for causing a flow of fluid through the hose and into nozzle 10. The nozzle is essentially rigid or stiff, and for that purpose may be formed of a suitable resinous plastic material of appropriate rigidity. The nozzle is elongated in the direction of, and centered about, an axis 13, and extends from an inlet end 14 of the nozzle to an outlet or tip end 15. If desired, the nozzle may have a slight longitudinal curvature, but in most instances it is preferred that the nozzle be straight along axis 13, as shown. Internally, the nozzle contains a passage 16, whose lower end 17 opens into hose 11 to receive the fluid therefrom, and whose upper end communicates with apertures 18 in the side wall of the tip end of the nozzle for passing fluid outwardly to the exterior of the nozzle. Upwardly beyond apertures .18, the tip end of the nozzle is desirably closed.

The hose may be connected to the lower or inlet end 14 of the nozzle by partial reception within an outer groove 19 in the lower end of the nozzle. Above this groove 19, the nozzle may have an enlarged diameter annular flange 20, of a diameter greater than the external diameter at a location 21 just above the flange, to provide an essentially trans-verse annular upwardly facing shoulder 22.

About nozzle 10, there is provided a sheath assembly 23, consisting of a main sheath element or body 24, and a lower tubular sleeve 25. Body 24 is formed of a resiliently deformable sponge material, which at least when wet is very soft and pliable, and which forms an essentially tubular side wall 26 disposed about nozzle 10 and closed at the upper end 27 beyond the nozzle. Internally, side wall 26 of the sheath body may contain a straight cylindrical inner surface 28, centered about axis 13, while externally the side wall of the sheath body may have a concentric outer desirably straight cylindrical surface 29. The diameter of internal surface 28 may be approximately equal to the maximum transverse dimension of the upper end portion 15 of the nozzle, which end portion may have the essentially cruciform noncircular shape illustrated in FIG. 2, with its maximum transverse dimension b being somewhat greater than the diameter of the portion of the nozzle therebeneath.

The sponge material of which sheath body 24 is formed has open pores, that is, pores which communicate with one another through the entire radial thickness of side wall 26 of the sheath body, and through the thickness of the end wall formed at 27, so that water emitted from nozzle may pass readily through the sponge to the exterior of the sheath. Preferably, the sponge material utilized for forming sheath body 24 is a regenerated cellulose sponge material, such as is utilized in household sponges and the like, though it is contemplated that other sponge materials, such as rubber, may be used if desired.

The sponge or sheath body 24 is (at least when wet) much softer than, and less rigid or stiff than, nozzle 10. The tubular sleeve 25, however, is not as flexible as sheath body 24, but rather is substantially stiffer and more rigid, to provide a projection for holding and manipulating the assembly 23. Desirably, sleeve 25 is formed of an appropriate essentially rigid and stiff resinous plastic material, such as polystyrene, nylon, or the like. This sleeve may have an internal surface of straight cylindrical configuration, and of a diameter corresponding approximately to, but desirably slightly greater than, internal surface 28 of sheath body 24. At the location of the sleeve, the internal diameter of the sheath body may be increased somewhat, as indicated at 3.1, to receive the wall thickness of sleeve 25. The outer surface of the sleeve may be of straight cylindrical configuration, ex cept at the location of an annular radially outwardly projecting flange 32, which projects outwardly into an annular groove 33 formed in the sponge material, to form a mechanical interlock with the sponge for retaining sleeve 25 in the illustrated assembled position relative to body 24. Preferably, the outer surface of sleeve 25 is also cemented or otherwise bonded to the internal surface of sheath body 24, to further enhance the connection between these parts.

The lower end of sleeve 25 projects downwardly beyond the lower annular edge 34 of the sheath body 24, and to a bottom annular edge 35 of the sleeve. This edge 35 is positioned and dimensioned to engage shoulder 22 on the nozzle in a relation preventing insertion of the nozzle into the sheath assembly or unit 23 upwardly beyond the position of FIG. 1, so that there is no danger of projecting the upper end of the nozzle through the soft upper end portion 27 of the sponge.

In using the arrangement of FIG. 2, the assembly or unit 23, consisting of the two parts 24 and 25 permanently secured together, is first slipped onto nozzle 10 to the position illustrated in FIG. 1, with the lower end 35 of sleeve 25 engaging shoulder 22 on the nozzle. The user may then grasp the lower end of sleeve 25 and also flange 20 of the nozzle in a manner holding the sheath assembly and the nozzle in fixed relative positions, and then manipulate the assembly by holding it in this manner. Water or another douche liquid is forced through the nozzle from source 12, to pass through the wall of body 24 and into the vaginal cavity, with the sponge body 24 being movable against and relative to the vaginal tissues to attain a cleansing or medicating function without damage to the tissues by the very soft sponge material, and all with controlled movement of the assembly 23 and nozzle by virtue of the discussed gripping of these parts at the lower end of sleeve 25.

FIG. 3 shows a variational arrangement in which the nozzle 10a and sponge type sheath body 24a may be considered essentially the same as in FIG. 1, but with the tubular sleeve 25a being changed somewhat to enable it to be detached from sheath body 24a as seen in FIG. 4. More specifically, the sleeve 25a may have two annular spaced ribs or projections 37 forming a shallow annular groove 38 therebetween, within which there is receivable the inner annular edge 39 of a ring 40 which engages and is annularly bonded or cemented to the lower annular edge portion 41 of the sponge or sheath body 24a. Ribs 37 have a normal external diameter very slightly greater than the normal internal diameter of edge 39 of ring 40, and are sufficiently resiliently deformable radially inwardly, against the yielding resistance offered by the resilience of the material of which sleeve 25a is formed, to attain a snap action between ribs 37 and edge 39 of ring 40. That is, sleeve 25a may be slipped upwardly into ring 40, with the upper rib or beam 37 constricting very slightly and snapping past edge 39 of ring 40, to connect sleeve 25a to ring 40 and thus to sheath body 24a for handling of these parts together as an assembly or unit. When it is desired to separate the parts for cleaning, sleeve 25a may be snapped downwardly past ring 40, to the FIG. 4 position. In use, the assembly consisting of parts 24a, 25a, and 40 are handled and utilized in the same manner discussed in connection with the assembly of FIG. 1 consisting of parts 24 and 25.

FIG. 5 shows another variational form of the invention which may be considered as identical with that of FIG. 1, except that the sleeve 25 has been deleted, and only the sponge body 24b is provided for reception about nozzle 10b. The sponge body is not long enough to extend downwardly to the location of flange 20b on the nozzle, to thus leave a handle area or portion 42 of the nozzle which is accessible beneath the lower annular edge 34b of the sponge material, for manipulation of the assembly in use. The assembly may also be grasped at the location of the lower portion of sheath 24b, as shown, if desired. As in the other forms of the invention, the sponge material of body 24b is of opened pored soft flexible character, to enable water or other douche liquid to be passed through the pores of this sponge, and to protect the tissues against direct contact with the harder and more rigid nozzle 10b.

In all of the forms of the invention, the upper end portion of the nozzle (such as portion 15 of FIG. 1), is desirably slightly oversize with respect to the internal diameter of internal surface 28 of the sheath body, so that the upper end is a tight frictional or forced fit within the upper end of the sheath, to frictionally retain the sheath on the nozzle in the FIG. 1 position.

I claim:

1. A vaginal douche sheath to be used with an elongated douche nozzle having fluid discharge openings, comprising a sheath body adapted to be received about said nozzle and containing a passage which is open at one end for extension of said nozzle thereinto and is closed at the opposite end, said body being formed of a deformable, porous sponge material which is soft at least when wet and through which fluide may pass from said nozzle to the exterior of said body, the outer surface of said body of sponge material being dimensioned for reception within the human vagina, a tubular element received within and lining said sheath body at least at said one end thereof and formed of a material which is more rigid than said sheath body when the latter is wet, said tubular element being connected to the sheath body and containing a passage dimensioned and shaped to pass a douche nozzle axially within the tubular element to the interior of said sheath body.

2. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in which said tubular element has a first portion projecting into said one end of the sheath body and has a second portion projecting axially outwardly beyond said one end of the sheath body.

3. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in which said tubular element has a first portion projecting into said one end of the sheath body and has a second portion projecting axially outwardly beyond said one end of the sheath body and presenting an end surface engageable with a shoulder on the douche nozzle to limit the extent to which the nozzle is insertible into the body and tubular element.

4. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in which said sheath body is substantially cylindrical externally.

5. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in which said sheath body is substantially cylindrical both externally and internally.

6. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, including an adhesive securing said tubular element to said sheath body.

7. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, including a connector element secured to said sheath body near said open end thereof and containing an opening within which said tubular element is removably retained, said tubular element having a portion containing a groove engageable with said connector element in a snap fit relation detachably securing said tubular element to the connector element and thereby to said sheath body.

8. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in combination with a douche nozzle projecting into said tubular element and said sheath body.

9. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in combination with a douche nozzle projecting into said tubular element and said sheath body and engaging said tubular element in a relation limiting the extent to which the nozzle can be inserted into the tubular element and body.

10. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in which said tubular element has a flange projecting radially outwardly therefrom and locating said element axially relative to said sheath body.

11. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, including a connector part secured to said sheath body for securing said tubular element to the sheath body, and means forming a detachable connection releasably securing said tubular element to said connector part.

12. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 1, in which said tubular element has a first portion projecting into said one end of the sheath body and terminating short of said closed end of said body, and has a second portion projecting axially outwardly beyond said one end of the sheath body and presenting an end surface engageable with a shoulder on the douche nozzle to limit the extent to which the nozzle is insertible into the body and tubular element, said sheath body being substantially cylindrical internally and externally and of a length several times its external diameter, there being an adhesive securing said tubular element permanently to said sheath body.

13. A vaginal douche sheath to be used with an elongated douche nozzle having fluid discharge openings, comprising a sheath body adapted to be received about said nozzle and containing a passage which is open at one end for extension of said nozzle thereinto, said body being formed of a deformable material which is soft at least when wet and through which fluid may pass from said nozzle to the exterior of said body, the outer surface of said body being dimensioned for reception within the human vagina, and a tubular element received within and lining said sheath body at least at said one end thereof and formed of a material which is more rigid than said sheath body when the latter is wet, said tubular element being connected to the sheath body and containing a passage dimensioned and shaped to pass a douche nozzle axially within the tubular element to the interior of said sheath body.

14. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 13, in which said tubular element has a first portion projecting into said one end of the sheath body and has a second portion projecting axially outwardly beyond said one end of the sheath body.

15. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 13, in which said sheath body is substantially cylindrical externally.

16. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 13, in combination with a douche nozzle projecting into said tubular element and said sheath body.

17. A vaginal douche sheath as recited in claim 13, including a connector part secured to said sheath body for securing said tubular element to the sheath body, and means forming a detachable connection releasably securing said tubular element to said connector part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,298,752 10/ 1942 Crockford 128-270 X 2,170,222 8/1939 Strauss 128-239 X 2,218,738 10/1940 Boy'sen 128-269 X 2,779,962 2/1957 Cooper 239-145 X 3,228,398 1/1966 Leonard et al 128-270 X GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

